Oviedo Council reopens mayoral qualifying after candidate withdraws

At a special session that began at 5:15 p.m., the Oviedo City Council voted to reopen qualifying for the office of mayor after one previously qualified candidate withdrew.

Mister Cobb explained that under City Charter Section 3.02, when a two-candidate race becomes a single-candidate race the city must reopen qualifying. He said the resolution sets a special qualifying period from Aug. 28 through Sept. 4, and that qualifying will close at noon on Sept. 4, 2025. “When you have 2 candidates for an elected office and 1 of those candidates drops out, leaving only 1 candidate, that the city will reopen qualifying and have a special qualifying period,” Mister Cobb said.

The council had been responding to the withdrawal last week of Jimmy Bostom Jr., who had been a qualified candidate for mayor. The resolution before the council, numbered 4646-25, establishes the special qualifying dates to allow a second candidate to emerge for the November election.

A council member moved to adopt the resolution; another member seconded the motion. The clerk called the roll and four affirmative votes were audible. The mayoral-qualifying resolution passed and the council adjourned at about 5:18 p.m.

The council did not receive or record any public comments at the session. Officials noted the limited scope of the meeting: reopening the qualifying period only, as authorized by the charter provision cited by Mister Cobb.

A brief photo session followed the adjournment, and no additional items were taken up at the special session.